Russet Goatskin: untouched and monkeyed with

[schitzo]

Evening gents

I got home last night to find some samples waiting. It was the russet goatskin in particular that I had been especially looking forward to.
I took it out and it did not disappointed

I decided to cut it in half and monkey around with one of the pieces. I put it in a cup of water and then twisted it and wrung it out, a process I repeated several times. As I was doing so I could see colour running off into the sink. I left it to dry overnight and below are some pics. the one on the left is the piece interfered with.

I just wonder, which do you prefer the look of? I am definitely going to be getting a vintage styled jacket in russet goatskin in the very near future







If you have any comments please post, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts

 

[Cooperson]

I'm amazed at how much colour has leaked with just plain water, would be interesting to see how light it becomes with even more washing. I voted for the untouched because I enjoy watching my jackets change naturally over time. Note to self, must get a goat jacket one day

 

[Jägernaut]

I prefer the untouched. Couldn't say why but me eyes tell me untouched

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

I vote for no monkeying around too. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[Brettafett]

Schitzo, where did the samples come from and what kind of jacket are you considering?
Untouched, let it 'weather' from wear. Although, dep on the jacket, a little HWT here and there may help the process

 

[schitzo]

I'm starting to wonder if I should have monkeyed with that piece less and to think that perhaps I overdid it? I just wasn't expecting to get results like that as quickly and so easily, it took literally no more than 10 mins and about 3 goes.

On the other hand I'm now also wondering if I should monkey more, and what that might look like. I think I'm going to have to find out!


@Brett:
The samples are from AL and I'm thinking about either a Simmons Bilt or a Top Notch. As far as I know, the latter has never been seen out in the wild

 

[Davy Crockett]

Both of the samples look lovely but I am quite surprised by the shrinkage if they were cut from the same piece of leather!

D

 

[schitzo]

Both of the samples look lovely but I am quite surprised by the shrinkage if they were cut from the same piece of leather!

D

Good point Davy, I should add here that there was no shrinkage, I just didn't cut the 'halves' evenly

 

[Edward]

Seems an excessive level of colour loss so easily? [huh]

 

[schitzo]

Seems an excessive level of colour loss so easily? [huh]

Not exactly sure what I expected. The leather was soaked through in hot water and then twisted hard. Given the treatment, I think I'd have been more surprised had it not shed any colour. You gonna vote Edward?

 

[Monitor]

While I greatly prefer the sample you've monkeyed with, I would rather have the task of getting the jacket to look like that all for myself.

 

[Superfluous]

Untouched

 

[Fanch]

No monkey business for me.

 

[IXL]

Un.

 

[nick123]

Is the goatskin veg tanned?

 

[Seb Lucas]

I have an Al goat in brown it fades and looks worn fairly quickly. Mine is combination veg and chrome dyed.

 

[Edward]

Not exactly sure what I expected. The leather was soaked through in hot water and then twisted hard. Given the treatment, I think I'd have been more surprised had it not shed any colour. You gonna vote Edward?

I think I'm an abstention. As a rule, I prefr to just wear the jacket and break it in myself, but I'd be a bit wary of a hide which seems to leak the colour that easily lest it end up over my clothes. This could be over-caution on my part, of course.

 

[Worf]

Personally I prefer the Cheetah side of town.... I would probably prefer to have it treated with something afterwards to prevent mother nature from continuing the process on me... But I ike the way the grain popped and the color lightned.

Worf

 

[schitzo]

last night I cut the monkeyed with piece in half and went to town on one of the pieces, repeatedly soaking and twisting the hell out of it until no more colour would run off. Which took a good few hours, on and off. The news is that piece is barely any lighter, if at all, than the other half, though the lighter shade of brown is now uniform across the whole of that piece. So what I've realised is that with this type of monkeying - IMO - it doesn't need much to get the best result, as I prefer the look of the piece pictured above in which there is colour variation because the colour has not come away evenly. In fact. upon reflection I think I overmonkeyed with that piece and that less monkeying would have yielded an even better outcome. I can see that the poll is a landslide victory for unmonkeyed but my personal take is, given a choice, I'd prefer monkeyed with russet goat for my jacket, so long as it was not over-monkeyed. I just think it looks more characterful and vintage that way. Truth be told, I honestly can't see how a russet goatskin jacktet worn by me could ever end up looking like that, as the treatment required is just never gonna happen organically. IMO I could wear it for ten years, take it out into every rain storm I saw, and engage in hand to hand combat with packs of ignorant fashionistas who don't appreciate crocs whilst wearing it - and it STILL wouldn't look like that


EDIT: Looking again, perhaps the first piece wasn't overdone

 

[Seb Lucas]

I'm not sure you're right about your capacity to wear in the goat. As I wrote above the Al goat I have has worn in without much effort at all. But let me clarify; it has faded and worn quicker than any of the dozen's of jackets I have ever owned over 30 years. The seal brown is now showing light russet undertones all over the wear areas. And I have not worn this thing hard. I think it's the veg tan process.